Skeleton Game

You get the commentary, but what were the moves? Sorry if it's too hard or too easy, it's difficult to judge when making it.

1. *
Been the most common opening move for a long time
1... *
Keeping it symmetrical
2. *
Challenging the centre
2... *
Instead of conceding the centre, black prevents any quick castling by white
3. *
White cannot take the pawn, so prepares to take it safely.
3... *
Protecting the pawn. Also, the bishop can now pin the knight.
4. *
White sacs the pawn so he can get the tempo to play d4
4...*
But black keeps the useful diagonal.
5. *
White's storming in! he won't leave that bishop alone.
5...*
The simple solution, keeping things tidy and providing a hideaway.
6. *
Hitting e5.
6...*
Black goes for a pawn of his own.
7. *
Risky. This could just be to allow castling soon.
7... *
Pinning the d4 pawn against the threat of a fork.
8. *
Attacking the knight and preparing to castle.
8... *
Defending the knight
9. *
White relieves the tension, though this allows black to open up his queen.
9...*
Nevertheless, black pushes, bolstering the knight in place.
10. *
White seeks to remove this new defender but
10... *
Black cooly backs it up with another pawn
11. *
Bringing the second knight onto its most common opening square
11... *
Threatening to take c4
12. *
Stopping the threat and driving back the bishop
12... *
Better than the rook option
13. * 13... *
Safety first for both players.
14. *
Here the queen will help the queenside push
14... Qe7
15. *
The most naturally agressive pawn move
15... *
And black decides that the rooks are going to go!
16. *
16... *
17. *
Keeping the A file.
17... *
Wanting the sac on C5
18. *
So 3 pieces protect D4
18... *
Black can then kick the knight next move
19. *
19... *
Pawn swap
20. *
Forking the bishop and pawn
20... *
The expected sac
21. *
White accepts
21... *
Better than the aimless check.
22. *
Setting up a queen swap
22... *
23. *
Off go the queens
23... *
Well the pawn wasn't going to just sit there
24. *
Doesn't take the rook just yet. The attack on the bishop is better than the exchange.
24... *
Saving the rook and protecting the bishop if his opponent flees.
25. *
Decides to take off the bishops...
25... *
But there's one more trick. This gains tempo and cannot be attacked immedietly so is a good pawn win.
26. *
Aiming to pin it after it's defended.
26... *
Obvious. Wins the piece back and defends the knight.
27. *
The pin, and attacks the pawn for good measure.
27... *
Threatening to win the rook
28. *
Taking the pawn.
28... *
The expected check
29. *
Towards the centre to help out
29... *
Saves the rook and hits the knight
30. *
The check saves the rook with a tempo
30... *
Hugging the H pawn.
31. *
Hitting the isolated pawn
31... *
Losing the C file to protect it.
32. *
Winning the F5 pawn
32... *
Delays the capture one move
33. *
The check still wins the pawn.
33... *
Might as well challenge the knight
34. *
And after the capture, black resigned.

Originally posted by doodinthemood
You get the commentary, but what were the moves? Sorry if it's too hard or too easy, it's difficult to judge when making it.

1. *
Been the most common opening move for a long time
1... *
Keeping it symmetrical
2. *
Challenging the centre
2... *
Instead of conceding the centre, black prevents any quick castling by white
3. *
White cannot tak ...[text shortened]... ... *
Might as well challenge the knight
34. *
And after the capture, black resigned.

1. d4 d5
2. c4 Nf6
3. Nc3 e6
would not fit but they are the backwards ideas.

Ah. Good. I didn't make it too easy 🙂 2... Nf6 doesn't seem to fit with preventing white from castling.

1. e4 e5
2. f4 d5
3. Nf3 Nc6

The Falkbeer Counter Gambit. I imagine White doesn't castle due to the wide open aggressive nature of the opening.
Problem is that 3...Nc6 doesn't free the Bishop. It's already free.

1. e4 e5
2. f4 Bf5

This doesn't quite work because it blocks the castling WHILE conceding the center. Maybe the author meant "CONTESTING the center".

3. fxe5 of course leads to ...Qh4++, so white cannot take the Pawn. Instead:

3. Nf3 d6
4. b4 Bb6
5. a4 a6
6. fxe5 dxe5
7. d4

Solution PM'ed. Tough problem!

Originally posted by SwissGambit
Solution PM'ed. Tough problem!

Am I right so far?

Woah, swissgambit impresses again by getting every single move spot on. Athousand young has the first 5 correct, but your 6th move for white is taking the pawn rather than hitting it.

1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d6 4.b4 Bb6 5.a4 a6 6.d4

I'm fairly confident about this much but black's 6th has me confused.

I've also PMed the solution. Took me a while to get a few of the moves but got there in the end. Move 6/7 had me stuck for a while as well but after searching for moves that attacked a pawn for black and working out what move 7 had to be it fell into place.

PaddyB has it, schumi has the start. And with everyone choosing to PM me the answer rather than post it here, this thread may get cult status *hehehe*

1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d6 4.b4 Bb6 5.a4 a6 6.d4 Nf3 7. Bd3

How's that? I can't figure out the pin on d4 though.

Fell apart at move 6.

Originally posted by doodinthemood
Fell apart at move 6.

So which was the last correct half move?

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
So which was the last correct half move?

5...a6